Ortega asks OVP to back claims on 'savings' if SC decides vs. impeachment

La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V on Thursday dared the Office of Vice President (OVP) Sara Duterte to back up its claim that millions will be saved if her impeachment trial does not push through.

"Kailangan niya ng cost-benefit analysis," Ortega said. 

(She needs a cost-benefit analysis for that.)

"She can't throw around statements like that. Aralin muna nila maigi. Siguro hindi naman aabot sa P612.5 million ang gastos sa impeachment," Ortega said.

(She should study it well first. I don't think impeachment expenses will cost P612.5 million.)

Ortega was responding to the comments made by OVP spokesperson Ruth Castelo, who said that "we'll save millions and millions of money on the trial that is technically defective." 

Ortega, however, questioned her claim. 

"At this point, that's premature [for them to say]. Saan galing iyong matitipid? Saan galing iyong hugot niya?" Ortega asked. 

"Baka sa next press conference mag-present na sila ng matrix because what gets measured gets done. You don't throw such pronouncements around just for soundbyte," Ortega added.

(Where will the savings come from? She should present a matrix in her next press conference.)

"Right track"

In the same press conference, Ortega also responded to the comments made by Senator Joel Villanueva, who said that he is hopeful that the Supreme Court will resolve the petitions questioning the legality of the impeachment soon so the Senate will know if it is on the "right track."

"Regardless of what the Supreme Court needs from the House and the Senate, those can be complied with. There is no problem with that. Pero klarong-klaro naman po ang ating Saligang Batas. The impeachment court is an entity on its own," Ortega said.

"The Supreme Court has to resolve these legal questions brought to them, but holding the impeachment trial is a leadership call. Besides, the Senate impeachment court already constituted itself," Ortega added.

"The Senate will try and must try [the impeachment case], no matter what," Ortega emphasized.

The impeachment case put forward by the House accuses Duterte of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes mainly due to alleged misuse of P612.5 million worth of confidential funds and for threatening to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., his wife Liza and his Speaker Martin Romualdez of Leyte, among others.

Castelo has said that Duterte is "ready" if the impeachment will proceed. 

“The Vice President is ready, she's been saying that. And she's eager to be able to present her case or her evidence in the impeachment court so that once and for all, all doubts cast on her will go away. And that's what she wants,” Castelo said. —VAL, GMA Integrated News